I ain't settling for anything less than everything!: My bia comes to visit!

Michelle Park, or my bia..the name I gave her in college, came into town from Philly for 10 days. Sadly I was only able to see her one day, but it is better than nothing! Michelle, her little sister Stephanie, her chi o big sister Michelle and I all met up at McCarthy's in Lakewood for a mini reunion. Can I just take a second to tell you why I love Michelle?

I met Michelle when we both pledged for Chi Omega in 2002. Our friendship did not really start until the following summer at a Chi Omega event called Firesides, which took place in Cleveland, Oh. We became fast friends and since her hometown was only 3 cities away from mine, we were able to spend The Walk for Wishes, and a Crop Night together that summer. She even bought her first car from my parents. Going back to Kent we drifted in and out a little bit. I lived in the sorority house and she stayed in the dorms with her best friend. Between classes, the Kent Stater, my boyfriend and life, the only time we really got to see each other was when she would be at the House. It was hard on Michelle, that her closest friends all lived in one place and she lived in the dorms. It caused some separation at times, as it was hard for the rest of us to relate to all the amazing things Michelle had going on. Our friendship was not one that we needed to always be in touch. It was one, that when a boy was horrible to her, I would walk across campus, in the dark, alone to her dorm to sit with her. Or when I was publicly embarrassed by a boy and his girlfriend at a Greek event, she took it upon herself, and her incredible knowledge of vocabulary, to rip him into pieces. Michelle ALWAYS took my side on things no matter what. She ALWAYS had my back, when others were not so reassuring or positive, she would always say exactly what I needed to hear. When I wanted to hate someone, she would hate them with me. When I loved someone, she found the good in them too. When I look back on some college experiences that were very emotional to me, I see her there, feeling every emotion with me, the same way. *Brag Moment* Did I mention that Michelle is unbelievably intelligent. Not only did she have a dual major in Journalism and Spanish, but she was the editor of the Kent Stater, Panahelnic Delegate for Chi Omega, she was on the Panhel board, won the first Ann Walters Scholarship and accomplished a dozen other things that I know I am forgetting. She was worked for some amazing newspapers and has bounced from Cleveland, to AZ, CA and PA. Michelle has been a great friend to me, and no matter where her life takes her, I know we will always be friends, and that she will always be there for me. And for that I am so grateful to know someone like her. Please enjoy some of my favorite pictures of me and my "BIA"